Metallic tie and rail-fastening device.



J. P. ROBINSON.

METALLIC TIE AND RAIL FASTENING DBVIOB. APPLIOATION IILEDMAY 4, 1911.

1,000,845. Patented Aug. 15, 1911.

2 BHEBTB-SHEET 1.

WITNESSES N R COLUMBIA PLANOGRAPH CO WASHINAJITDN, D. c.

J. F. ROBINSON.

METALLIC TIE AND RAIL FASTENING DEVICE.

APPLICATION FILED MAY 4, 1911. Baltented 15,

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

WITNESSES INVENTOI? J05; fiff'aax/vso/v,

v 1 Z 7 Ana/mus COLUMBIA PLANOURAPH CO., WASHINGTON 0. c.

JOEL F. ROBINSON, OF ATLANTA, GEORGIA.

METALLIC TIE AND RAIL-FASTENING DEVICE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed May 4, 1911.

Patented Aug. 15, 1911.

Serial No. 624,937.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JOEL F. RoBINsoN, a citizen of the United States,and a resident of Atlanta, in the county of Fulton and State of Georgia,have made certain new and useful Improvements in Metallic Ties andRail-Fastening Devices, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to improvements in ties and rail fastening devicesand it consists in the combinations, constructions and arrangementsherein described and claimed.

An object of my invention is to provide a tie which shall form aresilient bearing surface thereby absorbing shocks.

A further object of my invent-ion is to provide a tie which will preventthe spreading of the rails and the accidents consequent thereto.

A further object of my invention is to provide a spring rail fasteningdevice which will hold the rail in a fixed position, thereby doing awaywith the usual method of fastening rails by spikes,

Other objects and advantages will appear in the following specification,and the novel features of the device will be particularly pointed out inthe appended claims.

Figure 1 is a top plan view, Fig. 2 is a side view of my invention as inuse, Fig. 3 is a detail section on about line 3-3 of Fig. 1, Fig. 1 isan enlarged top plan view, the rail being removed, Fig. 5 is a sectionalview drawn transversely through the rail, and Fig. 6 is an end viewpartly broken away.

In carrying out my invention I provide a tie of the shape best shown inFigs. 1, 2 and 3. The body portion of the tie is formed of folded layersof wire netting 1. At each end of the tie is a metallic plate such asthose shown at 2 and 3 in Fig. 1. A description of one of these plateswill suffice since both of them are alike. The plate 3 is provided witha downwardly turned flange 3 on one side and a similar flange 3* on theother side, see Fig. 3. The end of the plate also has a flange 3 and acorresponding flange, not shown, on the opposite side of the plate. Thecorresponding flanges on the opposite side plates are secured togetherby rods 3 which pass through the netting thereby holding the latter inplace. The plates 3 and 2 are separated as shown in Fig. 1, but arejoined by cross braces land 5 respectively.

The rail fastening device consists of a base 6 upon which is mounted apair of end supcut-away portion like that shown at 7 The ends of a pairof yokes 10 and 11 extend in the cut-away portions of the supports 7 and8. A rod 12 extends through the central portion of the yokes and isprovided with nuts 13 to space the yokes apart,

Slidably disposed on the rod 12 are the flanged members 14 and 15 whichare designed to grip the rail base as shown in Fig. 5. These members arenormally held against the rail base by the semi-elliptical springs 1 1and 15 respectively, each of these springs being reinforced by the coilsprings 14 and 15 which surround the rod 12.

Pivotally secured to the base by means of a pivot pin 16 is a cam member17 which is provided with a handle 18.

From the foregoing description of the various parts of the device, theoperation thereof may be readily understood.

In mounting the rail the members 14 and 15 are forced backwardly untilthe rail base can enter between their upper flanges which are thenreleased to engage the base. The

tension on the rail gripping members 14 and 15 may be increased byturning the nuts 13. The rail may be positively locked by the grippingmembers when the eccentric looking member 17 is shifted into positionshown in full line, in Fig. 4. Tension may be released when the cam isswung into the dotted line position. v

The use of the metal tie prevents the spreading of the rails. The base 6of the locking device is designed to be secured to the tie by me us ofbolts or rivets or any other suitable Fastening means.

'The means for locking the tie prevents the danger of wrecks by personswho wish to cause an accident because the rails have to be jacked upbefore they can be released.

Instead of using the metallic tie by itself, it may be used as acovering for a wooden tie thereby preventing the latter from rotting andthus increasing the life of the tie.

I claim:

1. In a rail fastening device, a base, end supports carried thereby, apair of movable clamping members arranged to engage the base of the railand springs for maintaining said clamping members in position.

2. In a railfastening device, a base, rail supporting members carriedthereby, a pair.

of rail clamping members disposed between said rail supporting members,springs for maintaining said rail clamping members in engagement Withthe rail and a locking device for locking said members in position.

3. In a rail fastening device, a base, rail supports carried thereby, apair of movable clamping members disposed between said rail supports andadapted to engage the base 0 of the rail on opposite sides thereof, apair of yokes, a pair of semi-elliptical springs for holding saidclamping members in engagement'with said rail, the ends of said springsbearing against the ends of said yokes, and a common connecting rod forsaid yokes, said rod serving as aguide rod for said movable clampingmembers.

, JOEL F. ROBINSON.

Witnesses:

JEPTHA N. MORGAN, PRESTON WV. SMITH.

v Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, byaddressing the Commissioner of Patents. Washington, D. C.

